To Laugh or To Cry?

I turned 55 last month and the funny thing, I am not sure what to think.  I remember 21 years ago when my dad turned 55.  My four brothers and I sent him an old-age backpack with the following inside:  Bengay, Depends, Exlax, magnifying glass, folding cane, and a coffee cup that was wide on the bottom with a rubber mat so it wouldn't tip over.  We thought we were so cute! Speaking of cute - here is Murphy and Buddy when we got them in December.

My dad reported that he had a lot of fun with that coffee cup.  He'd go to work with it full, call the crew over to his pickup truck and say, "watch this."  Then he would proceed to set the cup of coffee on the windshield.  I can just imagine him laughing and laughing at those guys' expressions.  My dad likes to pull a good joke.  So do I.

But Friday, the joke was on me.  Paul and I went to Costco for a few things and I went to the optometrist office to make an appointment.  You see I need some reading glasses.  Murphy, my dog, chewed my old pair up.  Yes - he did.  I wasn't too upset because they were 17 years old, scratched, and held together with bread ties.  You heard right, bread ties, one green and one blue.  I can't see up close so there was no way I could see to get those little itty itty bitty itty bitty screws back in those even ittier bittier holes.  Anyway, I just told myself that at 55 years young, I'll get me some new ones.
 Here is Murphy now!

As I walked up to the door at the optometrist's office, I checked the hours for a Tuesday appointment.  10 - 5.  AND it was senior citizens' discount day - AND in small letters (but not too small as I could read them) it said 55 and older.  My jaw literally dropped and I stumbled a bit.  This is Buddy now!

Since when does 55 have anything to do with senior citizens' discounts?  Huh?  I don't have enough gray hair to be a senior citizen and my cellulite is too refined to be that noticeable, and in the back of my tiny gray cells were all kinds of tears, screams, name-calling and stomps!  I will refuse that stupid discount if they offer and insist on paying full price.  Made me feel a little braver so I wouldn't cry over the realization that I had now caught up with my dad.  Would my kids send me an old age backpack (Dora please so I can match my grandaughter!)?????

So I made the appointment with head high, smiled when she said the $60 dollar exam would be $30 and put the dumb appointment in my Blackberry.  Huh, my dad never had a BB!  The up side is that I get new glasses.  The uppest side:  I will use the $30 savings to go buy a new supply of sugar and salt, as I put salt in the sugar canister and then in Paul's iced tea today.

I guess I need the glasses........................